Construction and sinking of caissons, &amp;c.



PATENTEYD 00128, 1906.

D. E. MORAN.

S TRUGTION AND SIN'KI NG 0F GAISSONS GUN APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1906.

INVENTORL WITNESSES 'rn: vomu! PETER S C0,, WAIMIN T NI b. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONSTRUCTION AND smKme. OF CAISVSONS, 81.0.

Specification of Letters Patentf.

' Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

' [implication filed June 22 ,1906. Serial No. 822,816.

To aLZ whom it may cancer-m;

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. MORAN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Mendham, in the county of Morris and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Sinking of Caissonsor the Like, of which the following is a specification.

In my application for Patent No. 321,845,

filed June 15, 1906, I have described and claimed, broadly, the reinforcing of concrete caissons or piers by the introduction of steel, preferably in the form of. continuous connections between the superimposed load and the foundation. The present invention is based upon a particular form of such reinforcement distinct from the specific form upon which said application is based and having certain valuable advantages hereinafter referred to in detail.

According to this invention an exterior shell of metal is provided extending entirely to the top, so as to receive a portion of the load, and adapted at its lower end to b eextended in such a way as to carry the strain directly to and preferably distribute it upon the natural subfoundation of rock or any suitable artificial subfoundation. Such a reinforcement can be very easily provided, a metal shell extending from the cutting edge to the top being a common feature of many caissons now constructed and it being only necessary to provide for the extension of such shell to a subfoundation and preferably the distributing of the pressure over a suitable area.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a caisson sunk to the desired depth. Fig. 2 is' a similar view showing the steel reinforcement extended continuously to the rock foundation and the filling of concrete. Fig. 3is a sectional view of a detail. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another arrangement for extending the reinforcement to the subfoundation.

The drawings illustrate a caisson substantially like the common type, having a body A of concrete and a working chamber B with metal sides C extending upward above the roof D to form .a coffer-dam E, having the usual horizontal joints at intervals. The shaft is provided with a lining consisting of a sheet-metal" tube F. The parts C and E constitute a continuous metal member from the cutting edge G to the top of thecaisson, and the invention lies in extending this metal member continuously to the'rock H, which is usually some distance below the cutting edge. Preferably, also, the extension is adapted to be pressed forcibly against the rock, so as to put the metal parts under initial strain to insure that they shall mate- {ially assist the concrete in carrying the oad.

In order to adapt the sides C for the extension described, variousconstructions may be adopted. For example, threaded rods J may be arranged to extend through the horizontal flange of the stiffening angle-iron K at the cutting edge, and nuts Lmay be provided for exerting an upward pressure on the under side of the horizontal flange, so as to force the rods J down against the rock H and to give them an initial strain, if desired, or the load may be distributed more widely upon therock subfoundation by any one of various arrangementssuch, for example, as

that shown in Fig. 4:, where a number of cross-beams M are held up by any suitable supports N, so that the cross-beams stand in anapproximately horizontal position and press upward under the cutting edge G at various points of its length, the struts N resting directly upon the rock, so as to form an artificial subfoundation. After the described extensions have been made the con.

crete filling may be introduced, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

' In connection with the reinforcing system described I may use various other systems such, for example, as the internal reinforcing systems described in my ,application above referred to andothersa Though I have described with great particularit of detail certain specific embodiments of my invention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the specific embodiments disclosed.

Various modifications thereof in detail and in the arrangement and combination of the parts may be made by those skliled in the art without departing from the invention.

What I claim is.

. 1. The method of constructing and sinking a caisson or pier, which consists in forming the caisson with metal sides, sinking said caisson, and providing a metal extension too from the cutting edge tothe subfoundation tion from the superimposed load to the subreinforced by metal on the outside, crossfoundation. beams M, and supports N adapted to rest on 2. A caisson having a body of concrete the subfoundation to bring said cross-beams I 5 reinforced by metal on the outside, and up against said metal. 5 means for extending the metal reinforce to In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed the subfoundation. my name in the presence of two subscribing 3. A caisson having a body of concrete Witnesses. ,reinforced by metal on the outside, and adjustable metal extensions adapted to con- IO tinue the metal reinforce to the subfounda- Witnesses:

tion. DOMINGO A. UsINA,

4. A caisson having a body of concrete THEODORE T. SNELL.

DANIEL E. MORAN. 

